Computer networks have become an integral and pervasive part of business, government, and other organizations. As a result, the number of computer users has grown as well as the scale and complexity of the networks that support them. More importantly, increased network complexity causes, among other things, the number and complexity of problems associated with the network to increase.
Typical network goals such as predictable response, dependable throughput and high system availability can be frustrated by different network troubles such as physical problems, connectivity problems, and configuration problems. Moreover, users of such networks can become frustrated when they are unable to connect properly to their network and cannot make sense of error message(s) that can provide information that is minimal and cryptic. For example, a single user error message such as “The network path was not found” can be associated with a plurality of network connectivity issues.
Traditional solutions to network troubles (e.g., network connectivity problems) involve telephone-based services, for example, call centers, intelligent voice response devices (IVR) and technician-based service(s) such as on site help desks and human network experts. In addition, self-help support pages may be provided on-line containing the questions and answers to the most frequent problems. Further, conventional self-diagnostic tools are difficult for novice users to use and understand.